Field
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for simulating heart sounds.
Description of the Related Art
Clinicians commonly use stethoscopes to listen to sounds inside the body. For example, stethoscopes can be used to listen to lung sounds and heart sounds. Some stethoscopes can be used with a recording device to record the internal body sounds. However, these audio recordings can require large amounts of data storage.
Newer technologies provide for electronic patient monitoring using acoustic sensors. For example, Masimo Corporation of Irvine, Calif. commercially provides noninvasive and continuous monitoring of breathing, specifically the respiration rate using an adhesive sensor with an integrated acoustic transducer that is applied to the patient's neck. In some instruments, data from the acoustic sensor is used to drive an audio transducer such that the instrument reproduces audio the same as or very similar to the original sensed breathing. The data may be audibly presented substantially real time or stored for later playback. However, as with electronic stethoscopes, the recording of this data can require large amounts of data storage.